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Mumbai-based bespoke travel camping startup, Moonstone Hammock has forayed into Himachal Pradesh by setting up the first luxury camping site at Jibhi in Kullu. Started in 2016 by 5 college friends, Moonstone Hammock, operates three camps near Mumbai in Karjat, Pawna and Alibaugh. Jibhi is their entry into a new territory which is more ideal for camping and experiential tourism in the country.
For the first time, the company has introduced a new type of geodesic dome tents in Jibhi. Two of these tents are set up on a 1000 sqft plinth facing the valley giving a panoramic view of the Kullu valley. These tents have a flexible roof which can be opened and closed with the press of a button.
Apart from the geodesic tents, the accommodation at Jibhi site comprises three ‘Hunter Nest’, the luxury tents with premium facilities and two traditional wooden cottages.
“The Jibhi property is a premium camping site with a lot of activities and customisable experiences based on the taste of the travellers,” said Dabholkar.
He said that while Kullu, Manali, Dharamshala, etc. are highly commercialised and therefore crowded, they preferred Jibhi as the destination which is offbeat and has a lot of nature and heritage surrounding the place.
“Jibhi is surrounded by the Great Himalayan National Park. The destination is also known for its beautiful valleys, waterfalls and the rich life and culture and heritage of the place,” he said.
Another reason for choosing Himachal for expansion, according to Dabholkar, is the pan-India appeal of the destination and the profile of travellers. While in their Maharashtra properties, the customers are largely from Mumbai and its surrounding areas, Dabholkar said that Himachal receives travellers from all over, which gives the brand a much more visibility.
“Tourism is also shifting gears from brick and mortar hotels to more experiential accommodations,” he added, reminding the new travel trends in the market.
Having forayed into the Himalayan region, which has immense potential for alternate accommodation models, Dabholkar said that they will aggressively explore expansion into more locations in the North and Western side of Himachal.
For expansion, the bootstrapped company is open for various partnerships with owners, he said. He said that it can be revenue sharing, franchise or PSR. He said that the company is already working with family investors for two upcoming projects in Nasik and Igatpuri in Maharashtra on these models.
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